Jacob Halpern

2022 Astronaut Scholar

Hometown

Lansdale, PA

Major

Nuclear Engineering

College

College of Engineering; John Martinson Honors College

 

Jacob Halpern was awarded the 2022 Astronaut Scholarship sponsored by Kathy and Dick Covey and the CoveyLove Legacy Fund for his research in plasma physics.

 

When Jacob arrived on campus as a First Year Engineering student with a notably rigorous background in physics, including the study of Maxwell’s equations, his intellectual foundation was competitive with the second-year undergraduate program.  Fast forward to his junior year, and it comes as no surprise that Jacob would find himself collaborating with graduate students through research groups and summer internships.  Perhaps the greatest compliment is that Jake – as he is known by those around him, was received as a peer among these graduate students.  With each giant leap, Jacob stepped into the opportunity of his circumstances with a desire to continue to improve himself as a scientist and to contribute to his team.

 

From theoretical research at Purdue to hands-on experience at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, what sets Jacob apart is not limited to his academic training and motivation, but rather intrinsic to who he is as a person and a leader, including his ability to motivate others.  Writing in support of his application, Dr. Allen Garner, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Chair in the School of Nuclear Engineering, affirms that Jake is on a path toward leading in his scientific field.